Police lock down Wales high school to search for drugs, find nothing

WALES, Maine — State police officials searched Oak Hill High School for drugs on Friday morning, but no contraband was found, according to RSU 4 Superintendent James Hodgkin.

RSU 4 contains the towns of Litchfield, Wales and Sabattus.

“We found nothing,” Hodgkin told the Bangor Daily News.

Friday’s search marks the first such activity in at least three years at Oak Hill, according to Hodgkin, who said the school board has adopted a policy for conducting drug searches at the school of 500 students.

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“We’ve been talking about wanting to do this for some time,” said Hodgkin. “We really just wanted to say to the community that we can do this, and we are capable and willing to bring the [state police] dogs in.”

Hodgkin said only he, principal Patricia Doyle and assistant principal Robert Birmingham knew exactly when the search would take place, although the school board was aware that a search was being coordinated.

Students and teachers were locked in classrooms while the search was taking place, Hodgkin said.

“Dogs hit on four or five lockers and one car. Those lockers and car were searched and nothing was found,” he said.